Monday, 27 March 2017

The simplest part of the house I'm building, from an architectural point of view, is the ground floor at the read which is one long piece running the whole width of the house with no strange angles or bits that jut out.

It does, however, have almost as much window as wall in it with a set of patio doors, a large window and that back door to be cut out and the frames formed behind.

This is quite a vital piece because it will form the main connection between the two distinct halves of the house so now this is ready I can start fixing bits together and it will begin to look something like a building.

Thursday, 23 March 2017

We've made the giant leap into 3D printing - albeit just buying in a model rather than designing or producing our own.

In this case it's a Robex model of Lilla, the Hunslet tank which has long been on our wish list.

Himself's first impressions are not just how light it is - which is not necessarily a good thing on a layout with a hill - and how it feels a little fragile. (Although to be fair he's more used to working with brass or white metal so that's not surprising.)

I have not inspected it myself yet but I know that some people have created very fine models using one of these prints so I'm very much looking forward to seeing what he does with it.

It's worth remarking, though, that once you add in the cost of buying a Minitrains 0-4-0 chassis for it to run on it doesn't work out that much cheaper than the projected price of the RTR Baldwin 4-6-0.

Tuesday, 21 March 2017

I know it may have looked as if I was never going to finishing the drawing (it was, if you will pardon the expression, a rather drawn out process) but I have now taken the first steps towards building the next house.

The first stage is to cut out the blank walls, without windows yet, for the sides which have all the tricky angles on them.

It's only when you have the pieces in your hand and can place them back to back and compare them that errors in the drawing become apparent - and there were quite a few it turned out.

The next stage is to hack out the windows which is always the most tedious bit of a building project.

Monday, 13 March 2017

Because we use acrylic paint on the buildings (as preferred by the Artistic Director) rather than the enamels that we use on the trains, the process is a lot swifter due to the difference in the drying times.

We still have to complete the landscaping around the barn which is just resting on its plot in the photos here.

Once it has a few trees camouflaging its position I think it will blend into the scene nicely.

So that's one of the big outstanding jobs ticked off, now I really need to get on with those remaining houses..

Wednesday, 1 March 2017

I got my first chance at the weekend to take a look at Heljan's 009 ready-to-run Lynton and Barnstaple Manning Wardle tank loco, and mighty impressive it looks too.

This really does mark a watershed for the scale.

For the first time a manufacturer is giving us a model of equivalent standard to that which standard gauge modellers have been able to take for granted.

I hope that they, Heljan, will have massively underestimated the demand for models like this, are both rewarded for their gamble and encouraged to look for follow ups.

This model was being held captive inside a display case in Glasgow so we were unable to take a close look at it.

Himself's first impression was that he still thought the Backwoods Miniatures kit - which we used to make our Lyd - is a better model.

But then he would say that, because he can build them!

For the likes of mechanical imbeciles me like this loco looks like a glimpse into the promised land.

Do not take from what I have written that we are kit and scratch building snobs who turn our noses up at ready-to-run, for we long ago put down a reservation for the long-awaited Bachmann Baldwin WD 4-6-0's.

There is nothing wrong with top quality RTR in my eyes, nor with the best of the 3D printed bodies that are being designed by enterprising people like Narrow Planet and Robex.

I will admit, though, to being more than a little frustrated at some of the utter abominations that I do see being knocked out on printers by modellers who it would appear are content to have something that bears only the most passing resemblance to the prototype.

It looks suspiciously like in many of these cases the truth is that all that matters is that the model is designed and produced at the fastest possible speed.

Many of the people behind these seem to be young, and impatience goes with the territory. Perhaps they will be in less of a busting rush as they mature.

What really irks me, however, is that in this age of cyber commerce many of these 'models' are put out there to buy through 3D printing websites.

Which brings us back to ready-to-run 009 which must be carefully nurtured in its infancy.

I believe strongly that we should not baulk at the prices the manufacturers charge for models such as this Manning Wardle, nor judge it against the cost to some of these 3D print offerings.

That would be to compare oranges and rotten apples.

The other thought I have is whether we, as a scale, will be able to exploit the potential for bespoke ready-to-run in the same way as the 00 fraternity has?

Look in any of the model magazines and you will see adverts from some of the most well known model shops and specialist firms for exclusive, short-runs of unusual prototypes.

Others, I note, are embracing crowd funding.

Can this not be done in 009? And who might be brave enough to do it?

One of the delights of Narrow Gauge is that there are so many one-off locomotives, and I suppose it could be difficult to find a market for hundreds of models of one single engine.

But there are other examples of small classes that can be exploited just as Heljan and Bachmann are doing.

For example, what about the Rhiedol tanks? Yes, there are only three of them but look how many livery variations have they worn between them over the years.

The current VoR owners seem very enterprising and go-ahead people. Might they not like to explore the idea of commissioning a run of models to sell exclusively?

You've got a retail and marketing proposition rolled into one there.

Then there's my own first love, the FR. And how many opportunities there are here!

If Heljan can provide for interchangeable cabs on their L&B locos then surely it's not impossible, with a common chassis and basic body dimensions to mass produce some lovely models of Linda, Blanche and Charles.

I suspect the lead-time on a model would be too long, and Boston Lodge would beat them too it, but what a marketing wheeze it might have been for the FR to commission a 009 model of their new Double Fairlie James Spooner?The chassis is always the stumbling block in 009. Once you've got that look at how many other Double Fairlie variants you could plonk on top. (So long a the rivet counters would overlook the variations in wheelbase and other minor details.)

Can I be the only one thinking along these lines? I'd love to read your thoughts.

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About Me

Broadcaster, writer and railway modeller.
Best known for the 009 Festiniog Railway layout 'Dduallt' which I built with my father David in the early 1990's and which is still making appearances on the exhibition circuit.